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Delia Smith Apple Crumble Recipe

Delia Smith Apple Crumble Recipe

Delia Smith's apple crumble recipe gives you a crisp, buttery topping over soft, spiced apples every time.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Resting Time 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 6 People
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: British
Calories: 320
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • Apple Filling:
  • 900 g cooking apples peeled, cored and sliced
  • 75 g caster sugar
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • Crumble Topping:
  • 175 g plain flour
  • 100 g cold unsalted butter cubed
  • 75 g demerara sugar
  • 50 g rolled oats optional
  • A pinch of salt

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 190°C (170°C fan / Gas 5). Toss apples with sugar, cinnamon and lemon zest, and spread in a baking dish.
  2. Rub cold butter into flour until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs with some larger clumps.
  3. Stir in demerara sugar, oats (if using) and salt.
  4. Scatter the topping evenly over the apples without pressing down.
  5. Bake for 35–40 minutes until golden and bubbling at the edges.
  6. Rest for 5–10 minutes before serving.

Notes

Keep the butter properly cold for the best texture in the topping.
Stop rubbing in the butter once you see larger, uneven clumps — this gives you crunch.
Never press the topping down onto the fruit; scatter it loosely.
Bubbling at the edges is the best sign the filling is properly hot and cooked through.
Freezes well either baked or unbaked, for up to 3 months.